Clippers Can’t Quite Pull It Off

Six months after they’d set in motion the events that ripped the Lakers apart last summer, the Detroit Pistons were back in Staples Center on Monday night.

This time, however, their opponent was not a storied glamour franchise with a championship in its sights, dynastic aspirations in its heart and future Hall of Famers in its lineup.

It was the Clippers.

And to the champions’ surprise, they needed two overtimes, game-tying baskets by Richard Hamilton at the end of the fourth quarter and Ben Wallace at the end of the first overtime and six free throws from Chauncey Billups in the second overtime to hold off the Clippers, 99-96.

Billups -- who made four free throws in the final 35 seconds -- and Hamilton each scored 20 points for the Pistons, who squandered a nine-point fourth-quarter lead in front of 15,866. Rasheed Wallace scored 18 points and Ben Wallace -- who learned earlier in the day that his 61-year-old brother, Sam Wallace Jr., had died -- had 15 points and 14 rebounds.

Opening a three-game Western swing without Coach Larry Brown, who is recovering from hip surgery, the Pistons overcame a four-point deficit in the second overtime, scoring the game’s last seven points, all on free throws.

The key play was made by former Laker Lindsey Hunter, who stripped the ball from Clipper point guard Marco Jaric, leading to two free throws by Billups that put the Pistons ahead to stay, 97-96, with 34.3 seconds to play.

Corey Maggette led the Clippers with 25 points and a career-high 19 rebounds. Chris Wilcox scored 25 points and Elton Brand scored 21.

“On the one hand, I’m proud of the way the guys played,” Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “But on the other hand, I’m really disappointed with the way we gave the game away. It was such a battle out there, and then at the end of the game, turnovers were made, the lack of execution at times ... I guess it’s testament to a young team, and it’s something we obviously have to continue to work on.”

Pushing the Pistons was of little solace to the Clippers.

“This year, we’re not trying to take any positives away from losses,” Brand said. “We’re trying to take the negatives from the wins....

“It’s a tough game to lose. We battled. We had many opportunities. It felt like it was over; it felt like we were going to win. But they’re the defending champs. They kept fighting. Experience down the stretch was really in their favor.”

Led by Wilcox, who scored five points and hounded Rasheed Wallace defensively, the Clippers rallied from a seven-point deficit over the last 3 minutes 22 seconds of the fourth quarter, outscoring the Pistons, 11-4, to force overtime.

A fallaway jumper from the right wing by Maggette and a free throw by Jaric gave the Clippers an 83-81 lead, but Jaric missed the second of two foul shots with 12.3 seconds remaining, giving the Pistons another shot.

Hamilton scored on a short baseline jumper to tie the score.

In the first overtime, Wilcox banked in a tip with 28 seconds to play, giving the Clippers an 89-87 lead, but Ben Wallace’s tip tied the score again.

After winning two of their first three games for their best start in eight years, the Clippers still hadn’t faced a team that reached the playoffs last season.

The Pistons, of course, would provide a sterner test.

They won the NBA title in June, as Southland hoops fans well remember, locking out the Lakers in a surprisingly lopsided championship series. This season, they’ve brought back basically the same roster.

The Clippers, meanwhile, again were short-handed with Chris Kaman and Kerry Kittles on the injured list but looked forward to the challenge.

“We’re not anywhere near where we can be, but I still expect us to play well and win,” Dunleavy said before the game.

They almost turned their coach into a prophet.